[Nation] The Shimmering Lands

[JohnBiles]

Are you looking specifically for an immortal connected to undeath here?

No, in fact quite the opposite. I don't want the Shimmering Lands dwarves to focus on undead at all - they shun it. I'm not opposed to using a patron of the undead, but that aspect would be downplayed in the Shimmering Lands. I do want a mean, powerful entropic though. Something appropriately devilish or demonic. Actually as Demogorgon is typically seen as a demon, having something more on the lawful/devil side might be a bonus. I know those distinctions typically aren't made on Mystara, but it would give me something more to play with. Of course Zugzul might also fill that role, but he is an Energy immortal as opposed to an Entropic.

EDIT:
Another thought - these demonic patrons would be some of the same patrons that the Dark Elves (of Gaz 7) took for their own, since the dwarves basically learn of the dark worship from these elves.

Hmmm. Arik is ancient enough and doesn't get enough love

This guy is not actually an Entropic, but he's nasty and evil and his hunger for knowledge seems to fit with the corruption of the Modrigswerg...

http://pandius.com/qywattz.html

A lot of entropics just don't exist yet. ^^;;

[Hugin]

Hey Chimpman, here are more Immortals that are around pre-2300 BC. The ones before these can be found in our [GazH] The Immortal Connection (working thread).

Aracne Prime - Entropy - 5000 BC - Aranea and evil planar spiders, trickery, oppression, darkness
Razud - Energy - 4400 BC - Alphatians, self-determination, independence, courage, freedom, authority, strong willed characters
Bastet - Matter - Pre–4000 BC - Rakasta, felines, luck, instincts, life, fertility, prosperity
Khoronus - Time - 4050 BC - time flow, wisdom, history, philosophy, good government, patience, diplomacy, persuasion
Guidarezzo - Energy - 3930 BC - Arts (especially music and singing), order, harmony
Land - Matter - 4000 BC - Earth elementals, order, strength, protecting the Elemental plane of Earth
Sinbad - Thought - 4000 BC - Travel, exploration, adventure, boldness, to overcome any barrier or border
Ninsun - Energy - 3400 BC - magic, knowledge, wisdom, prosperity, fertility, agriculture
Asterius - Thought - 3200 BC - Trade, profit, communication, travel, cleverness, merchants, thieves, healing
Garal G'lode - Matter - 3100 BC - Gnomes, inventions, science, mechanics, crafts, thinkers
Cochere - Thought - 2920 BC - gyerian, faenare, survival, freedom, family, song and music
Cretia - Thought - 2850 BC - chaos, jokes, stealth, survival through change, war
Djaea - Matter - 2930 BC - Respecting nature and life, balancing the ecosystem, survival of worlds and living races, druidism
Rathanos - Energy - XXX BC - Fire, fire creatures, energy, power, male supremacy
Utnapishtim - Matter - 2800 BC - Survival, travel, justice, protection of the living species
Slizzark - Energy - 2740 BC - kopru, domination of weak people, power, corruption
Saasskas - Entropy - XXIV BC - destruction, conquest, necromancy, oceans, devilfish

[Scaevola]

Orcus doesn't exist in 2300 BC; he was a Devil Swine in Traladara during his lifetime and Devil Swine don't exist until the 7th century AC.

The Traladarans don't exist at this point, even.

Hmmm... you are right, of course... nice catch. What entropy immortal could I replace him with do you think? I've been reluctant to use Thanatos just because I think he's generally overused and wanted some new blood here.

Personally in my writeup on Dwarves the idea was to use an Entropic Immortal that was killed later and whose portfolio was absorbed by Orcus. More specifically, I wanted to use one of the old Blackmoor deities (from Blackmoor 3E book), and it could be cool to ask Havard about some suggestions (also to link more DA's new Blackmoor stuff to our Mystaran Canon). I'd point out some names myself, but my Blackmoor tome is 3000 km from here. I have a lot of stuff in Italian on the new Orcus cult. I'll try to translate some for you. And, obviously, this Immortal was the one of Dark Elves (which allow us good manoeuvring space when we must decide WHO they are, e.g. when their patron dies, Atzanteotl steps in or whoever we want).

PS: I HATE the WotI description of most of the Immortals and I will forever shun the notion of Orcus being a "devil swine in Traladara" or Protius a "whale or dolphin" and so on. WotI is a mess, and the more the time passes the more I hate it for what they did to the setting with that &&%"$%$"!!!!!!!!

[Scaevola]

I have probably pointed out this before (checked it out - 29 march 2009... exactly 6 months ago ), but here you can see my version of the dwarven history from 4000 BC to 1083 BC.
It's quite old (last updated around 2005 I think) and has not included anything from the new Blackmoor books, but can be used as a basis for some stuff, and I would really like to combine it with your writeups. I will quote relevant passages when needed.

http://pandius.com/dwrf1age.html

[Chimpman]

A Mustering at Nellyg's Noch

General Dryag stood up in his saddle to get a better vantage of the troops moving by, as his war mastiff shifted its weight beneath him. Several more figures broke off from the main column to join him on the promontory. The beasts they rode were as large as his war mastiff, but leaner and with a glint of red and orange in their fur. Puffs of smoke escaped from their maws when they barked.

"General Dryag," the lead gnome said with a flourish, doing his best to bow while strapped into his saddle.

Dryag return the greeting with a nod, but kept his face impassive. "Exarch Juraed...may I take your presence as a sign of Zugzul's favor on this little expedition?" As he spoke the deep gouges under his left eye seemed to pulse with an inner red light.

Juraed's skin was pale and stretched tightly over his skull. The rictus grin he sported must have taken a great effort to force. "Not so little, it seems." When no reply was forthcoming he continued, "You have to admit General, that this is much more than some slave capturing exercise. I hear that Khergyd of Gromvand has personally brokered some deal with the abominations in Mogreth, and we are to meet their troops on the other side of these mountains. Such an effort must have the support of the Elder Conclave."

Dryag grunted, and squeezing his knees directed his mount to the edge of the promontory. Exarch Juraed spurred his hellhound forward, joining the general. Both sat silently as the last squad of giantkin from Tynghed traipsed by. The Exarch's conscripts, gnomes and dwarves from Gromhyeld, marched four abreast up the dusty trail and were close on their heels. Dryag knew full well that the skull faced gnome was right. Troops from scores of estates had already made the trek over the winding mountain pass. Estates across Gromvand, Himmevand, and half a dozen others from Thallyste, had all contributed to this effort.

On the valley floor below, more troops formed up waiting for their turn to pass, among them the free companies. Half a dozen Enthrallers clumped together under a shadow in the southeast corner, the other companies giving them a wide berth. Dryag knew that three others had already gone ahead of the marching column and would begin engaging the enemy as soon as they were in sight. Sentinels of the Dusk trickled into the valley through various means - overland, through tunnels in the mountains, and possibly even by magic. The riders and their spectral mounts congregating on the valley floor waiting for their numbers to build before making the final push to the other side of the mountains. Dryag doubted he would see any of them cross over the pass, but knew they would be waiting on the other side when he and his men finally emerged. In all there were a score of mercenary groups participating in this excursion. The most impressive, and disturbing of the bunch were the Seekers of Redemption.

Dryag suppressed a shudder as he considered them. Their bodies were twisted and corrupt, even by Moadreg standards, yet they maintained perfect rank. Heavily armed and armored, and augmented by fell machines from Himnem, every last one of them remained at their silent vigil, waiting patiently for all others to pass. Should this little venture succeed Dryag could find himself the master of his own estate... should it fail however he may very well be forced to join the Seekers' ranks.

A lone figure riding a shadow beast slowly began its way up the trail, stopping by from squad to squad to converse with the leaders of each group. As it approached the promontory the setting sun glinted off of a square jaw of polished silver, and two whispy figures could be seen hovering near each shoulder. One of the shades pointed upward, and the rider spurred his mount forward. In three great leaps the shadowy beast and its rider were face to face with the others.

"I'm very impressed Sehgdar," drawled the gnome, "but isn't this overdoing it for a slave run?"

The newcomer ignored the gnome completely, pausing to survey his surroundings, before finally turning to address general Dryag. When at last he spoke, his voice was metallic and raspy, "This... endeavor has been sanctioned by the Conclave."

"You overstep your bounds," the gnome spat, "as has Khergyd! I don't know what her real motives are, but I'll find out. By Zugzul's name, I know she cares little for the plight of these lizards, or for acquiring slaves of her own."

"I don't know what you're so upset about, I thought you flame heads lived for battle," Sehgdar replied, still without looking in the gnome's direction.

Juraed clenched his fists until his knuckles shone white. His entire body trembled so violently that Dryag thought he might fall from his mount. "I fight for Zugzul! Not your sister!"

Several of the dwarves inhaled sharply at that last comment, including the two fire heads flanking Juraed. Dryag let his hand drop toward his axe, but made no move to grasp it. Several of the others did the same, coaxing their mounts into better positions should any fighting break out. Invoking familial ties in a public setting was beyond reprehensible. Blood feuds had started for less, but Juraed seemed oblivious to his fax-pau. The promontory grew silent. Through strained ears, Dryag could scarce hear those near him breath.

Screeches and flutters broke the bated silence as a cloud of bats burst out from a cave above and swarmed over those on the promontory. Instinctively Dryag crouched low to his mount, but Juraed whipped his head around to face the onrush and unleashed a gout of flame from his mouth and nostrils in a great bellow. "Spies of Taymor!" he spat. Red flames licked his lips, framing the outline of his head against the dusk sky as the charred remains of winged creatures crashed to the ground among the gathering.

Ducking reflexively, Dryag put his fingers to his lips creating a piercing whistle, and signaled to the sentries posted further up the mountainside. The nearest immediately unslung his dragon belcher and took aim at the leathery winged swarm. Moments later more fell to the ground as they were engulfed by yet another ball of flame. The swarm flew south over the pass, and Dryag once again straightened in his saddle. More bursts of flame and blue radiance erupted in the sky as other sentries began targeting the creatures, though Dryag doubted that his men would bring them all down.

"They'll know we're coming!" screamed Juraed.

Sehgdar's deep metallic laugh echoed across the pass, "Shall we kill all the vermin in this valley? Every bat, rat, and curr?"

Dryag pursed his lips as he glanced from Sehgdar to the erupting gnome. With a shrug of his shoulders he dismissed Juraed's outburst. "They may know we're coming... but now we know they'll be waiting for us. This changes nothing. Exarch, I think you should see to you troops." The promontory grew quiet again as Juraed steamed over being dismissed. With his jaw clenched tight he heeled his mount, leaping back down to the pass with his entourage in tow.

"I don't want personal vendetta to get in the way of our success," Dryag said to Sehgdar without missing a beat.

Hovering above the silver jawed dwarf, the two shades looked sidelong at one another as Sehgdar thoughtfully fingered his chin. "Don't worry general," rang his voice like someone speaking from within a narrow tunnel. "You'll have your victory. Khergyd will have her prize... and Juraed his glory." The two dwarves spent several silent seconds staring at each other until Sehgdar urged his mount on with a hollow laugh trailing behind him.

"And you, Sehgdar," Dryag sighed, "...what will you have?"

[Seer of Yhog]

Love the latest installment, as always!

[Chimpman]

I've been coming back to this project slowly but surely - I've been starting to think some more about the pantheon (thanks everyone for the suggestions).

No revisions to the text at this point. For now there's an updated cover image in the first post of this thread. Not quite complete, but looking very much as it will.

[Chimpman]

It's been a while since I gave the Shimmering Lands some love, so I thought I'd share an excerpt from my Locations chapter. It's still a work in progress, but I'd love to get comments on it. Should I add anything? Remove anything? Change anything?

Demehvand Province
Demehvand is one of the northernmost provinces in the Shimmering Lands. It is the ancestral home of clan Yardrak, and contains two of their largest population centers, Yardrak and Jarduhl.

Ecology: Giants, wyverns, and the occasional dragon make their homes in the Maghkrys Mountains, and sporadically raid the underlying lowlands. Herds of deer and elk roam through the northern forests and hills, along with creatures that hunt them. Dire wolves, cave bears, and the occasional saber tooth cat. Unspeakable horrors often stumble from the depths of Imyrluran, and it is unknown what else might lurk underneath those dark boughs.

Economy: Demehvand is one of the larger trade centers in the Shimmering Lands, shipping goods from Qivar and Gromevand to the western portions of the country. Lumber is harvested from the northern hills, although the Imyrluran Forest is given a wide berth. Mines also exist on the eastern tip of the Maghkrys Mountains. Gold is a major product, though it comes with a peculiar reddish tint that can not be smelted from the ore. The red gold of Demehvand is rumored to buy the souls of creatures who spend it, and its use is shunned in other parts of the nation. Fiendish arts are also a commodity in Demehvand, with the largest dark library existing in the ancestral halls of Yardrak, deep in the mountain’s roots.

Arankh
Once the northernmost position, defending the Shimmering Lands from giant and elf depredations from the north, Arankh has declined in prominence since Karghthyne Province was established. Now it is a staging ground for troops from Demhyeld before they head out on punitive expeditions into Grondheim or Antalian lands.

Demhyeld
Population: XXX (X% dwarf, X% tiefling, X% other)
Max Spending Limit:
Important Figures:
Demhyeld is the gatherhold of the Demehvand Conclave, and the major gathering point for Yardrak dwarves. Being somewhat more social than their Skotharian brethren, Demhyeld is more than just a military installation. Over the centuries it has grown into a sizable city, larger even than Gromhyeld in the east. Once situated along a vital choke point in the area, Demhyeld no longer sees much military action. It has instead become a major center of trade as goods passing from Gromevand to Karghthyne, or vice versa, must first pass through here.

Frysghid Estate
Frysghid, an estate built in the heart of Imyrluran, was once the abode of the dwarven hero XXX, though whether or not she still lives is a debate of some interest. Several dwarves with claims to the estate have attempted to occupy it over the decades, though none have ever been seen again. Because the estate still sends its tithe to Demhyeld, the Elder Conclave has not intervened.

Imyrluran
Also known as the Lost Forest, or Forgotten Woods, Imyrluran has a reputation for being a place from which no one returns. A few trails do exist through the forest, and tradition holds that travelers can buy their lives from the woods in return for throwing in some item of value. Once off the established pathways however, no amount of bargaining can prevent one’s disappearance.

Jarduhl
Population: XXX (X% dwarf, X% tiefling, X% other)
Max Spending Limit:
Important Figures:
Built into a sheer cliff face overlooking the northern hills, Jarduhl can only be entered through tunnels to the southwest or by flight. A center of debauched depravity even by Yardrak standards, Jarduhl nonetheless remains a popular, if not dangerous, waypoint among dwarven travelers. Jarduhl dwarves are known as master channelers, and tattoo fiendish, arcane symbols all over their bodies.

Meghdur, Ruins
Once a great family, the Meghdur had blood feuds with the Jarduhl, even before the dwarves settled in the Maghkrys Mountains. In BC 2473, the Meghdur saw their chance to avenge themselves on their hated enemies. They attacked the Jarduhl by surprise as that family was heeding Drawyrf’s call to arms. After the battle of Drangyr was won, Dranwyrf brought all of his remaining forces to bear against the treacherous family, destroying them utterly. Since then Meghdur has remained in ruins, populated only by the tormented spirits of its former occupants.

Yardrak
Population: XXX (X% dwarf, X% tiefling, X% other)
Max Spending Limit:
Important Figures: Aynmegk Yardrak
Although technically an estate, Yardrak is more populous, and more heavily fortified than even the gatherhold of Demhyeld. The stronghold of those claiming direct descent from Lugett Yardrak himself, Yardrak is home for thousands of dwarves as well as all manner of fiendish creatures. Deep in the heart of their citadel is rumored to be a passage to Nidhelm, far in the territory of the Deep Elves. This is a secret that the Yardrak guard viciously, for should any of their brethren learn the truth about the origins of their powers, the Yardrak may find themselves beset upon by all of the Shimmering Lands.

[Seer of Yhog]

I'm happy to see more being written about the Shimmering Lands! Some details in particular stuck out:

1. The cursed reddish gold

I like this idea, as it gives the region more character. The fact that the "taint" is beyond even dwarven smelting abilities to remove piques my interest. Is this some sort of precursor to red steel, or is there a darker origin here?

2. Frysghid Estate

Naturally I want to know who the long-dead hero was, and what is going on there that makes it so dangerous. How are tithes sent? Do servants carry it physically, or are sorcerous means used? Perhaps the estate has automatons; otherwise someone might try to waylay a servant bearing the tithe and try to figure out what's really going on.

3. Imyrluran

Evil forests are always cool. Would there be gakaraks resident, or something even worse. Maybe treants that grew on lands corrupted by Blackmoorian fallout?

[Chimpman]

I'm happy to see more being written about the Shimmering Lands! Some details in particular stuck out:

1. The cursed reddish gold

I like this idea, as it gives the region more character. The fact that the "taint" is beyond even dwarven smelting abilities to remove piques my interest. Is this some sort of precursor to red steel, or is there a darker origin here?

Hmmm... being a precursor to Red Steel has merits. I suppose that the Nithians who come afterward might be able to pick up a few secrets from any of this material that is left around.

My first (admittedly unimaginative) thought was that the red gold is a symptom of fiendish presence in the area. It could perhaps also tie in with the Deep Elves and their machinations some how.

2. Frysghid Estate

Naturally I want to know who the long-dead hero was, and what is going on there that makes it so dangerous. How are tithes sent? Do servants carry it physically, or are sorcerous means used? Perhaps the estate has automatons; otherwise someone might try to waylay a servant bearing the tithe and try to figure out what's really going on.

Oh, this is definitely a job for servants, I think. Of course they would have to be the kind that don't talk much (even under duress). Undead and the dwarves of the Shimmering Lands don't really mix well, but there could be other useful servants - animated objects, summoned creatures (perhaps even fiendish ones), and maybe even the occasional geased gnome.

I agree there is some good adventure potential here - I'm going to have to start recording all of them for the Adventures booklet.

3. Imyrluran

Evil forests are always cool. Would there be gakaraks resident, or something even worse. Maybe treants that grew on lands corrupted by Blackmoorian fallout?

Again, some great adventure ideas Seer! I really like the idea of Fallout Treants! - and it only reinforces the theme that radiance = bad (which should be a major theme for the Shimmering Lands).

[Chimpman]

Here is an updated version of a typical Moadreg Estate. See the older version for comparison.


A slightly larger, full size image can also be seen here.

This is my first foray into Dungeon Designer 3, and is of course still a work in progress. I still need to detail the armory, servant's quarters, several guest quarters, and the guard rooms, as well as create labels and numbered rooms. For now, you should be able to figure out what most rooms are based on icon placement or by correlating spaces to the older image. Let me know what you think.

[Seer of Yhog]

Definitely like the revised map! I would suggest thickening the walls a bit around the master's sanctum - basically make it a type of fallout shelter within the complex, where he/she can be sheltered from the worst of attacks. I think the number of access points looks about right.

Given the nature of dwarves, I wouldn't be surprised if a number of these remained relatively intact in the AC 1000 era. It would be neat to see a map of a ruined one.

[Hugin]

Very cool chimpman!

I do agree with Geoff that the walls should be thicker, but I think they all should be. Perhaps put in some support pillars as well since they'd be needed to hold up the roof. There are some large areas that would really need them, IMO. Plus it gives it some character.

[Chimpman]

Thanks guys. I'll try thickening up some of the walls. I thought about adding pillars in as well - I'll give it a go and see how it turns out.

I went through all of the sections I had mapped out before and found that I was missing one of the more important ones - the prison cells! I can't believe I didn't build those in... I think what I'm going to do now is add a second level to the estate (below ground) and place the prison there along with a few other rooms.

[Seer of Yhog]

Love to see the lower level. Hmm..looking at the map again, where's the toilet? Is it that medium-sized room in the northwest of the master's sanctum?

[Chimpman]

Love to see the lower level. Hmm..looking at the map again, where's the toilet? Is it that medium-sized room in the northwest of the master's sanctum?

For the Elder? Yes. I think the room is a bit too big - been thinking of shrinking it.

There are a few other privies scattered throughout. One shared by the barracks, and another shared by the guest rooms.

[Seer of Yhog]

Casting a bit of thread necro here...

I'm currently reading James Farland's "Runelord" series, and what strikes me is that the idea of using "forcibles" to take or steal a person's attributes and give them to another person is exactly the sort of thing some of the Elders might be doing. At first, they might do it to stave off the effects of the Wasting, but over time the benefits of having multiple endowments of wit, strength, metabolism, grace, or stamina might not only make them more (or less, depending on your viewpoint) than dwarvish, it might lead them to create juiced-up warriors.

Of course, the donors (voluntary or otherwise) have to be kept alive or the benefit is lost, but I'm sure the Elders would be working on ways to get around that little difficulty, too.

[Chimpman]

I'm currently reading James Farland's "Runelord" series, and what strikes me is that the idea of using "forcibles" to take or steal a person's attributes and give them to another person is exactly the sort of thing some of the Elders might be doing. At first, they might do it to stave off the effects of the Wasting, but over time the benefits of having multiple endowments of wit, strength, metabolism, grace, or stamina might not only make them more (or less, depending on your viewpoint) than dwarvish, it might lead them to create juiced-up warriors.

This is something I'll have to check out, I'm not familiar with the Runelord series. Regardless the idea sounds absolutely (and fiendishly) wonderful. It strikes me that magical knowledge and techniques of this nature could also have contributed to the creation of the first Soulbound (essentially binding a dwarven soul into a construct's body to create "dwarven" warforged). It might also have played a role in the magitechnology of creating grafts or binding planer creatures into artifacts.

Not only could I see them creating these juiced up warriors you mention, but I could also see a need/desire to capture one's greatest opponents (among the other Elders) in order to add their own magical knowledge and prowess to oneself.

Hmmm... I wonder if this could have been a science in Ancient Blackmoor, and if so, perhaps some of those Blackmoorians could still be hanging around... in someone else's body That's an interesting line of thought to pursue... one that might lend itself to coming up with suitable villains (other than the dwarves themselves) for the Shimmering Lands.

Of course, the donors (voluntary or otherwise) have to be kept alive or the benefit is lost, but I'm sure the Elders would be working on ways to get around that little difficulty, too.

I knew those big empty Estates would come in handy for something Got to put all that space to use - plenty of room to hang captives

[RobJN]

I'm currently reading James Farland's "Runelord" series, and what strikes me is that the idea of using "forcibles" to take or steal a person's attributes and give them to another person is exactly the sort of thing some of the Elders might be doing. At first, they might do it to stave off the effects of the Wasting, but over time the benefits of having multiple endowments of wit, strength, metabolism, grace, or stamina might not only make them more (or less, depending on your viewpoint) than dwarvish, it might lead them to create juiced-up warriors.

This is something I'll have to check out, I'm not familiar with the Runelord series. Regardless the idea sounds absolutely (and fiendishly) wonderful. It strikes me that magical knowledge and techniques of this nature could also have contributed to the creation of the first Soulbound (essentially binding a dwarven soul into a construct's body to create "dwarven" warforged). It might also have played a role in the magitechnology of creating grafts or binding planer creatures into artifacts.

Not only could I see them creating these juiced up warriors you mention, but I could also see a need/desire to capture one's greatest opponents (among the other Elders) in order to add their own magical knowledge and prowess to oneself.

Hmmm... I wonder if this could have been a science in Ancient Blackmoor, and if so, perhaps some of those Blackmoorians could still be hanging around... in someone else's body That's an interesting line of thought to pursue... one that might lend itself to coming up with suitable villains (other than the dwarves themselves) for the Shimmering Lands.

Of course, the donors (voluntary or otherwise) have to be kept alive or the benefit is lost, but I'm sure the Elders would be working on ways to get around that little difficulty, too.

I knew those big empty Estates would come in handy for something Got to put all that space to use - plenty of room to hang captives

Thorn's Blackmoor hints at this type of magitech, available on both sides of the Afridhi and Beastman wars. The Afridhi could gain boons and bonuses by playing host to an ethereal demon, and certain troops of Blackmoor could do the same with a captured demonic essence at significantly less risk to their own free will. Shrikes could burn a bound demon's Hit Dice in place of sacrificing their own magical reserves for activating certain dragonstone powers.

Artificers in Thorn's Mystara have been known to ensnare demons in weapons, coaxing out their abilities for use as magical bonuses and effects, albeit only for short periods of time.

[Chimpman]

Thanks to karameikos , I've jumped back onto the Shimmering Lands project. I've been reviewing and modifying my dwarven timeline and as part of that process I wanted to get a better sense of what the migrations could have looked like. At this point I'm still using an AC 1000 coastlines map, but you should be able to get the idea.

Comments are welcomed.

[Havard]

Interesting. Do you see dwarven settlements being left behind along the migration lines? Would most of these Dwarves be killed or removed by Kagyar? Shouldnt there be a migration line leading to Denwarf Hurgon?

-Havard

[Chimpman]

Interesting. Do you see dwarven settlements being left behind along the migration lines? Would most of these Dwarves be killed or removed by Kagyar?

There probably should be several other settlement points along the migration path. For those dwarves in Skothar, I'm thinking that most of them would die out circa BC 2600 to BC 2500. Many could have died out earlier due to the Wasting, but those that did manage to weather out the disease would have been reduced to populations too small to support themselves. The one exception to this is the migration line I added in to the Skothar coast on BC 2630, which is a reference to Sharon Dornhoff's work and the dwarves that would be integrated into Adhuza at some point (see the Hollow Moon material).

Another possibility (if you go for this kind of thing) is that any dwarves left behind would be affected by the radiance fallout in such a way that they are no longer dwarves. It might be a nice way to bring populations of duergar into Mystara.

As for the Brunian dwarves, they mostly just stuck together. I do have a few more locations and time points to mark during their migration, but I don't think there are any real offshoots or branching with that line. One thing that struck me here was the distance and direction that the Brunian dwarves traveled. Of course much of this might be due to the fact that I'm using an unprojected map, but it seems like all they would have had to do was travel a bit south to find a nice homeland. There must have been some good reason for them to not have chosen that path, but I'm not sure what that is yet.

Shouldnt there be a migration line leading to Denwarf Hurgon?d

I need to go back and review DotE, but wasn't Denwarf Hurgon founded sometime after BC 1800 (after Kagyar modified the dwarves)? If so that migration won't appear on this map since I'm only dealing with the time period from BC 3000 to BC 2300.

[Chimpman]

Shouldnt there be a migration line leading to Denwarf Hurgon?d

I need to go back and review DotE, but wasn't Denwarf Hurgon founded sometime after BC 1800 (after Kagyar modified the dwarves)? If so that migration won't appear on this map since I'm only dealing with the time period from BC 3000 to BC 2300.

Hmmm... one more thought I had here though... it's possible that when the Denwarf Hurgon dwarves migrated to Alphatia, they did so with a purpose in mind. Perhaps they were looking for a lost colony built during the original migration from Skothar to Brun. In fact it's possible that Denwarf Hurgon could be built atop the ruins of a previous (pre-Kagyar) dwarven civilization.

[karameikos]

Thanks to karameikos ,

Oh yeah, I'm really working hard on this one. It's absolutely back-breaking labor to post a few messages on the internet demanding new Mystara books from other people. The sweat is pouring off my sinews in buckets.

Seriously, though, it's you guys who are doing the work. I'm just a pain-in-the-ass standing behind you and cracking the whip while shouting "MORE BOOKS! NOW! FASTER!"

[Chimpman]

Seriously, though, it's you guys who are doing the work. I'm just a pain-in-the-ass standing behind you and cracking the whip while shouting "MORE BOOKS! NOW! FASTER!"

Most of the time, that's what it takes!
Seriously though, a lot of times it's easier to work on a project that you know folks are interested in, so thanks for speaking up!